Credit Card Reward Points APK Scam by SMS

How it looks by SMS, the red flags and what to do.

On SMS the scammer has only a few lines to work with, so they use a deadline, a threat or a prize and a link that must be tapped "now". Credit Card Reward Points APK Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says your credit card reward points will expire today and links to an app. The app reads your SMS and steals OTPs from your phone.

What credit card reward points apk scam looks like by SMS

• A shortened or oddly spelled link that does not match the real website.
• A request to call a number, install an app or share an OTP.
• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.

The scammer sends a message in the name of a bank with a points amount, such as 9,850 reward points worth Rs 9,850, and a deadline of the same day. The message includes a link ending in a file for installation. Because you may really have points, the text feels close to a real reminder, and the amount is large enough to make you tap quickly.

Red flags to check on the text message

• Reward points are said to expire today.
• You are told to install an app from a link.
• The phone warns about installing from an unknown source.
• The app asks to read your SMS and calls.
• It threatens blocking, arrest, disconnection or a fine unless you act at once.
• It promises a refund, prize or cashback you never asked for.

What to do

1. Do not install the app and do not tap the link.
2. Check your points inside your bank's official app downloaded from a store.
3. Never allow SMS access to an app you do not trust.
4. Open the official app or type the official website yourself to see if there is any real notice.
5. Paste the text into a scam checker (Safeavio Sentinel can check it) before you do anything else.
6. Report the sender on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) and block the number.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Uninstall the app, restart the phone and change banking passwords from a safe device.
2. Call your bank on the number on your card and block the card.
3. Call 1930 and give the transaction details and time.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and app name.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's phone scan reviews installed apps and permissions and points out apps outside a store, apps that look like copies of other apps and risky settings such as unknown sources, which can help you find an app like this. The link check and scam check can review the message first. Safeavio does not remove malware by itself, so follow the steps it shows.

Full guide: Credit Card Reward Points APK Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, fake app, email.

Questions